Telcos called to pay debts
Frustrated with the lack of compliance, the government has given the Kingdom’s mobile operators an ultimatum: declare their company revenue shares and settle all outstanding debts owed to the government by the end of the month or face swift and severe punitive action.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Surrogacy to be legal
Authorities are preparing a draft law to make surrogacy legal with a range of protections for the women and babies involved.
— Khmer Times

Malaria cases plunged in 2016
The number of malaria cases in Cambodia plummeted by more than 50 percent in 2016, compared to 2015, though experts and recent research findings suggest the emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant malaria parasites in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) represents a “serious threat” in the elimination of the disease.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Commerce Ministry addresses exports, fees
Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak said yesterday the government will take action to boost the export of processed products and facilitate trade in the kingdom.
— Khmer Times

Government Delays New Studies on Dams Backed By Kith Meng
The Ministry of Industry, Mining and Energy (MIME) has yet to sign a memorandum of understanding with business mogul Kith Meng to undertake studies of three new hydropower dams, more than three months after the Council of Ministers gave it permission to do so.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Three Years On, Government, EU Still at Odds Over Sugar Evictions
Three years after starting work on a comprehensive compensation plan for thousands of families that accuse sugarcane plantation owners of stealing their land, the E.U. is urging the government to use independent experts to audit their claims in the face of persistent resistance from the prime minister.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Who Loses When Cambodia Cuts US Military Drills?
Last month, Cambodia suddenly cut its annual joint military exercise with the United States, which had already been in the planning stage and would have entered its eighth iteration this spring.
— The Diplomat

Cambodian flag ‘used by DPRK to move arms’
North Korea dodged international sanctions with the largest shipment of ammunition yet discovered in the communist nation’s sanctions history under the guise of Cambodia’s flag, according to Kyodo News.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Three Kampot Police Officers Test Positive for Meth Use
Three police officers have been demoted after testing positive for methamphetamine as Kampot province began drug- testing officers on Thursday, with other provinces saying they had already started testing their police officers or have plans to do so.
— The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Government plans regulation for subsidized airfreight
The Transportation Ministry’s director general for air transportation, Suprasetyo, has said that the government is revising a presidential regulation on subsidized cargo so that it will also apply to airfreight. The regulation currently only applies to scheduled sea transportation.
— The Jakarta Post

Carsentro aims to tap used-car market potential in East Java
Carmudi.co.id, a burgeoning classified car advertisements site, has opened a Carmudi Sentra Otomotif (Carsentro) used-car dealership in Surabaya, East Java. Carmudi Global CEO Stefan Haubold said the move was based on the increase in car ownership in the province that stood at 120,000 cars per year.
— The Jakarta Post

Toyota sources plastic resin from Indonesia
PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing (TMMIN), the local arm of the Japanese carmaker, is sourcing polypropylene impact (PP) copolymer from the local market to produce plastic components for Vios and Yaris cars.
— The Jakarta Post

Deputy Prime Minister visits northern provinces
Deputy Prime Minister, DrBounthongChitmany has visited the northern provinces to inspect various hydropower construction projects as well as advise local authorities on socio-economic development issues.— Vientiane Times

Medics assess developments in internal medicine
Development partners along with the line Health Departments of each province under the Ministry of Health met yesterday in Vientiane to discuss the provision of better healthcare in the field of internal medicine.— Vientiane Times

Outlook Of Medical Tourism Sector Expected To Be Positive
The outlook of Malaysia’s medical tourism industry is expected to be positive in the long term with the burgeoning demand for healthcare services, both domestic and international, coming from especially an increasingly affluent and ageing population, due to reasonable pricing.— Bernama

Thousands celebrate Hindu Thaipusam festival in Malaysia
Hindus gathered in temples across Malaysia on Thursday (Feb 9) to celebrate the annual Thaipusam festival, with many piercing their bodies with hooks and skewers to showcase devotion to the deity Lord Murugan.
— Channel NewsAsia

PM: Chinese education here to stay
Vernacular schools are part of Malaysia’s education system and will not be removed, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib said today.— Malay Mail Online

Najib committed to continue Adenan’s policy on state-federal matters
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he will continue the policy of the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem, the fifth Chief Minister of Sarawak, who had wanted to review the constitutional ties between the state and the federal government, based on what rightfully belonged to the people of Sarawak.— Malay Mail Online

Government cuts down foreign debt
Foreign debt was reduced to US$540 million during the first nine months of the NLD-led government, according to a Ministry of Planning and Finance presentation to the Hluttaw.
— Myanmar Times

Hluttaw calls for higher taxes as oil, gas revenues decline
As oil and gas revenues are expected to decline, the government is urged to increase taxes from other industries in order to reach original tax targets for the year, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Public Accounts Joint Committee presented in their review on February 8.
— Myanmar Times

Individual trading hits Ks9.9bn
As of January 20, individual trading at border trade zones reached Ks9.9 billion this fiscal year with exports making up less than 10 per cent of the total, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
— Eleven

UN envoy: Philippines drug slaughter slowing
A United Nations human rights investigator said in Bangkok Thursday there are signs of mounting opposition within the Philippines to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
—Bangkok Post

BSP raises inflation forecasts for 2017, 2018
Inflation this year and next year are expected to pick up faster than earlier expected due to higher oil prices as well as a weaker peso, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas officials said Thursday.
—Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lenders book record 2016 profit
PHILIPPINE BANKS booked a record profit in 2016 on the back of higher deposits and loans, alongside a lower share of soured debts from a year ago, according to latest central bank data.
—BusinessWorld Online

Staggered payments for power rate hike
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is proposing to stagger the implementation of the expected power rate hike following the Malampaya shutdown over a period of three months to minimize the burden on consumers.
—Philippine Star

Singapore Telecom hires three banks for broadband unit IPO
Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., the city-state’s largest phone company, said it has hired three banks as it prepares for an initial public offering to divest more than 75 percent of its wholly-owned fiber broadband network unit NetLink Trust.
— Deal Street Asia

Justice Ministry pushes for US, UK help in Rolls-Royce case
THE JUSTICE Ministry will request that the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) seek bilateral cooperation with its counterparts in the UK and the US regarding a criminal investigation into the Rolls-Royce bribery cases involving officials of Thai Airways International (THAI) and PTT plc.– The Nation

Growth in credit at seven-year low in 2016
THE TOTAL value of credit extended in Thailand last year edged up 2 per cent, the lowest in seven years, reflecting the slow economic expansion, the Bank of Thailand has reported. In 2015, the country’s credit expansion was 4.3 per cent.– The Nation

FMCG sales growth sinks in 2016
THAI shoppers remain cautious in their purchases of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), with sales-growth rates last year hitting the lowest point in a decade, according to Kantar Worldpanel.– The Nation

13 billion baht cuts to sicken Thailand’s universal healthcare
On 6 February 2017, the board of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) met to review issues in its projected budget for 2018. The NHSO is the public organization responsible for administering accessible healthcare for all Thai citizens.– Prachatai

THAI searches for a president
Thai Airways International’s search for a new president resulted in a short list of nine candidates, who are now under consideration, according to a statement by the airline’s board of directors, Wednesday.– TTR Weekly

Island of trash drifts to Prachuap Khiri Khan
The large amount of garbage spotted in the seas off Chumphon province by a trawler a week ago has drifted up to Prachuap Khiri Khan, about 100 kilometres from where it was first found, the Royal Thai Navy said on Thursday.– Bangkok Post

Construction of new royal crematorium goes forward
PREPARATIONS for the construction of the royal crematorium for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Sanam Luang is progressing well with the crematorium’s base already built, while the designs of royal chariots and the six enamelled, gem-studded Royal Urns have also been initially approved.– The Nation

Most elephants in Thailand registered for DNA checks
More than 3,440 domesticated elephants – or almost 99 percent of the animals’ total documented population in the Thailand – have been registered for DNA checks to verify their identifies and origins.– The Nation

IFC plans $57m quasi-equity investment in VPBank
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private lending arm under the umbrella of the World Bank Group, is contemplating a $57 million quasi-equity investment into Vietnam-based VPBank, several months after it lent a $50 million support in the form of syndicated loan to the commercial bank.– Deal Street Asia